This invention relates to adjuvant compositions particularly useful for the formulation of agrochemical actives such as pesticides.
Many adjuvant compositions intended for use in agrochemical formulations contain high levels of electrolytes (salts), particularly those electrolytes functioning as water conditioners, fertilizers or plant nutrients. When, in addition to high levels of electrolyte(s), such adjuvant compositions contain one or more electrolyte-tolerant surfactants, foaming is often a problem. It is therefore common practice to introduce an antifoam (defoamer) component in adjuvant compositions containing these surfactants in order to facilitate the preparation of application-ready agrochemical formulations containing the adjuvants and/or prevent problems from arising in connection with the application of the formulations in the field.
The antifoams used in conjunction with these high electrolyte products are usually silicone-based. However, known silicone-based antifoams are not without their drawbacks. Current silicone antifoams are commonly used in relatively high amounts in order to achieve an acceptable level of foam control, e.g., in an amount of at least 0.050 weight percent for many concentrated agrochemical formulations. Known silicone antifoams are prone to separation, especially during storage, leading to handling difficulties in the diluting/mixing operation, the field application of the final formulations and, potentially, the effectiveness of the latter.